Chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) processes are widely used in semiconductor manufacturing processes for removing material from a surface of a semiconductor wafer and producing a planarized surface. The CMP processes use a combined action of a polishing pad and a polishing slurry for polishing the semiconductor wafer. A surface roughness of the polishing pad, a relative movement of the semiconductor wafer and the polishing pad, a pressure exerted on the semiconductor wafer by the polishing pad, and a slurry composition and volume are some factors that will affect the results achieved by the CMP process.